


More than Just the Spare

by angelofbenignmalevolence



Series: Tumblr Writing Prompt Challenges [3]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sibling Comparisons, Songfic, Teacher Bullying, heart to heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:06:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28641198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelofbenignmalevolence/pseuds/angelofbenignmalevolence
Summary: Virgil finds himself at the school office for the third time in a week picking up Gordon. The squid has been acting out. A little heart to heart between brothers reveals the cause of Gordon's streak of trouble and gives Virgil a glimpse into the mind of the little Squid.
Series: Tumblr Writing Prompt Challenges [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828801
Comments: 19
Kudos: 20





	More than Just the Spare

**Author's Note:**

> A fic requested by an anonymous tumblr user based on the tumblr post found at https://angelofbenignmalevolence.tumblr.com/post/639700388735549440/send-me-a-and-ill-shuffle-my-playlist-then . The request was "✨✨✨ for Gordon and Virgil perhaps (if you don't mind two characters 😅)"

_She's the scholar, athlete, poet_

_I'm the screw up, don't I know it_

_But then who could ever compare?_

_Of course they're gonna think I'm just the spare_

_-More than Just the Spare (Outtake), Frozen Soundtrack_

* * *

Virgil heaved a sigh as he hesitated outside the door to the school office. Gordon was in trouble for his behavior in class _again._ Scott had track practice, so until that was done, Virgil was responsible for their younger siblings, and that meant that he had become a familiar face in the office. Virgil almost felt badly that he was happy that Alan was home sick with Grandma taking care of him and that John was on an overnight school trip, leaving just one younger sibling he had to wrangle. He composed his features into a smile and pushed open the door to the office and the secretary smiled at him.

“Hello again there, Virgil,” she said brightly. “Coming to pick up Gordon?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Virgil said. The conversation was one that had happened many times over the past few years. Ever since their mother had died, Gordon’s behavior at school was growing progressively worse. More and more often, Virgil found himself coming in to pick up the younger boy from the office. There was obviously something deeper going on, but Virgil hadn’t found the right way to approach it yet.

The secretary disappeared into the of the rooms jutting off the main office area and returned with a hand on Gordon’s shoulder. The sandy haired boy was pouting and his arms were folded across his chest. Virgil offered a small smile.

“Hey Gordon,” he said, offering a hand out to his younger brother. Gordon shrugged out of the secretary’s grasp and moved toward the office door, ignoring his brother’s hand. Virgil smiled apologetically at the secretary. “Thank you, Miss Hammond.” He turned to follow Gordon, catching the office door just before it slammed shut.

It only took a few steps for him to pull up even with Gordon, who continued to resolutely avoid looking at him. Apparently the ground was more interesting than his brother. Virgil didn’t think that going home was what Gordon needed right now. Whatever was bothering him was simmering just beneath the surface. Instead, Virgil tugged Gordon over to the swingset in the schoolyard, taking a seat on one of the swings. Gordon leaned against the frame.

“You wanna talk about it, Squiddo?” he asked. Gordon remained resolutely silent. Virgil waited for several minutes. Scott often said that Virgil had the patience of a saint, which was why he was so good with the terrible two. Virgil tried again with a different question when the silence stretched on too long. “What happened today?” Gordon shuffled his feet.

“Threw paint at Mrs. Eliot when her back was turned,” Gordon mumbled under his breath. Virgil forced himself not to sigh aloud. This was the third time this week that Gordon had acted out against his teachers.

“What’d she do?” Virgil asked. Gordon’s head popped up with a confused expression on his face. It wasn’t the question he had been expecting. Scott would have asked him why he did it. Virgil smiled as he used one leg to rock the swing he had occupied back and forth gently. “I know that you wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t seen a reason to do it,” he said. Gordon shrugged, looking at the empty playsets.

“She just…bothered me,” Gordon said.

“Did she say something to you?” Gordon’s brow furrowed and Virgil knew that he had hit the nail on the head. “What’d she say, little man?” Gordon hesitated a moment before he muttered something too softly for Virgil to pick up. “Sorry?”

“I said, ‘she told me that I was a disappointment to have in class after having you!’” Gordon said. Virgil frowned deeply. He didn’t care what a teacher thought of their students, thoughts like that should never be spoken aloud.

“She was—”

“She said that my interpretations of the art assignments were fast and loose. And Mrs. Anderson, the gym teacher, two days ago took great pleasure in reminding me that Scott was doing the one mile run seven minutes faster than I could,” Gordon said, not paying attention to Virgil. Virgil remembered that incident too, Gordon had flipped the switch that had dropped the net with all the dodgeballs in it and had sent them all over the gymnasium, causing chaos amongst the students as they had all rushed to pelt each other with them. “And Mr. Gerard didn’t _have_ to say anything on Monday when he explained the math concept to me five times and I still didn’t get it. He didn’t _have_ to say anything, but he did. He reminded me that maybe John could explain it to me in a way I might understand better.” It seemed the dam had broken and all of pent up feelings were now rushing out. Gordon’s amber eyes were welling up with tears.

“Gordo…” Virgil got up from the swing and moved over to take Gordon into his arms, but Gordon pulled away sharply, curling in on himself.

“I _get_ it. Ok?” Gordon said, anger and hurt radiating in those words. “I _get_ that I will never be as good as all of you. I’ll never be as athletic as Scott or as creative and talented as you or as smart as John. I just…don’t need to be reminded of it every day!” Virgil moved forward and pulled Gordon into his chest in one of his patented bear hugs.

“You listen to me, Squiddo,” he said. “You don’t listen to a word they say. Because they are wrong.” Gordon looked up from where he was plastered against Virgil’s chest, sniffling. “Are you listening?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You might not be able to run the mile like Scott can, but you can outswim all of us put together,” Virgil said. “It doesn’t make you any less athletic. You’re so fast in the water, I’ll bet you Scott’s super jealous. And you wanna know something? John’s really, really smart….but you’re pretty smart too. Remember when Alan broke Scott’s model airplane and you helped him fix it before Scott came home. You didn’t have the instructions Gordon. And Scott couldn’t even tell the difference. That’s intelligence. A different kind than Johnny, but it doesn’t make you any less smart. And you know what? You’re probably even more creative than me.” Gordon snorted. “I’m serious. I could never come up with the kind of pranks you do. You never do the same thing twice!”

“I don’t, do I?” Gordon said, sniffling, but his voice was a little lighter.

“You sure don’t, Squiddo,” he said, ruffling Gordon’s hair. Gordon squirmed out of Virgil’s hold with a squawk of indignance. “So who cares what those old bats and badgers say?” Virgil was sure his father would care a whole lot once he had the chance to tell him. “You’re just as good as any of us…betcha even better in some cases.” Gordon looked up at Virgil, the hint of a smile on his features.

“Thanks Virg,” Gordon said. Virgil nodded.

“Now, what do you say we go get some ice cream on the way home. We don’t even have to tell Allie or Scott.” Gordon’s eyes lit up.

“Three scoops?” Virgil chuckled and threw his arm around Gordon’s shoulder.

“Don’t push your luck, Squiddo.”


End file.
